Samsung SP50L7HX

...top box or other equipment. Samsung provide a three shelf add on, made of the same glass as at the bottom it slides neatly against one of the side of the base, (Not all retailers provide this as standard, be sure to check!!!) but if the set is placed in the corner this can't be used as intended.

I have noted ease of instillation as dificult, i should say this is ONLY DUE TO THE SIZE. the TV has auto tuning, is easy to connect and setting ...
...price with good reliability then the Samsung SP50L7HX should be going to the top of your list.

I hope you have found this review useful, I am still new to Ciao and would greatly appreciate any feedback you could leave to help make my next review better.  ... more

When we got this television into the electrical superstore I work in I almost wept, honestly, it looks that good.
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but everyone agrees it certainly demands attention. I would definately recommend anyone considering buying this find somewhere you can go see it for yourself, if only to get a better idea of the sheer mass of the unit.

Almost a metre and a half in both width and height this set will take up a decent portion of any living room, (The stand is an integral, inseperable part of this TV, and comes in the box as you see it.) and just getting it into the living room can be problematic, so make sure you have clearance enough to manouvere the unit to where you plan to display it.

For those of you not familiar with the DLP tecnology at the heart of this machine I'll gloss over the main points here, you may want to "google it" if you need more detail.
DLP or Digital Light Processing is an invention of Texas Instruments to rival plasma and LCD, it uses a microchip with up to 2million indepent mirrors on its surface, these mirrors tilt back and forth to project the image from a single bulb (rather than the 3 found in traditional projection TV's) onto the screen.
DLP is also available in front projectors, and many cinemas are now using these to replace their old style projecters.

The advantages of DLP over plasma and LCD screens include its robustness and reliability, rather than glass they use a tough perspex screen (I known one guy who punches the scren to demonstrate it's toughness, please don't do that at home!) they are also easier to have repaired if anything does go wrong, an immunity to screen burn (an image or "ghost" being, sometimes permanently, etched on the screen), and the most important factor is that large screen DLP sets are available for up to half the price of a similair plasma screen.

The disadvantages are an inability to wall mount, due to the nature of projection TV's they are pretty large, a limited viewing angle, (The picture goes dark then disappears from view if you go too far to the side of the screen, this usually isn't a problem as people generally sit infront of their TV's, not to the side of them.) The bulb, like any bulb, will have to be replaced every 5 years or so, currently these can be quite expensive but should be much cheaper by the time a new set will need it replaced, and the infamous "Rainbow effect," I cannot speak from experience on this as rainbow effect is apparently like a magic eye picture; only certain people can see it, and I have never noticed it myself. However I have been told its like an appearance of extra colour, or a rainbow, on screen in the peripheral vision.

Now back to this particular TV, did I mention it's looks? pictures don't do it justice, I got that feeling in my chest car enthusiasts get when they first see a ferrari in real life. The controls are also a treat to use, rather than using buttons,the user waves their hand in front of the black glass strip beneath the screen, and the controls light up in a nice blue tone, these disappear again if you haven't pressed anything in about 5 seconds. Of course there is also a remote control, but where's the fun in that? people with children will be glad to know there is a child lock option to stop them using it as a toy, (although I assure you, you will!)
During the warm up (this one can take up to 30 seconds from turning it on until the picture is displayed.) the little circle display aove the controls lights up and a countdown image is shown, then when it's ready a small face appears,smiles and winks at you, a very nice touch i thought!

Picture quality is absolutely superb when plugged into a HD (High Definition) source, colour tone and detail is excellent, although as with any projection TV the picture suffers if you are too close to the screen, or if there is too much light in the room.
DVD's and computer games also look great, with progressive scan available- if your dvd player supports it -images are "scaled up" to near HD quality, you will need to use HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) or component leads to use this feature as a scart lead can't support it. The screenburn resistance of DLP should be a serious consideration of serious gamers, you don't have to worry about prolonged games sessions damaging your set like traditional rear projections and plasmas, and with a pc connection it's not just console gamers who can benefit.
I must say however that this set does highlight the poor quality of analogue television, and even digital TV such as sky and cable can sometimes look a bit rough on such a large screen, this should definately be coupled with a HDTV subscription to get the full benefit.

The 3 round speakers on either side of the screen fit in nicely with the design, produce a reasonable sound qaulity and good volume, although nothing particularly impressive. I would definately recommend using a 5.1 surround sound kit for anyone considering a TV of this callibre, therefore negating the need for built in speakers.

Although this monolithic TV will take up most of the focus in the room, it needn't necessarily take up all the floor space. At only 52cm deep,which is less than most 32" CRT (Cathode Ray Tube- the traditional box type) TV's, it will sit comfortably near the wall without sticking too far into the living space. The unit was also designed with 45 degree sides to both the backing and the glass bottom of the stand, so it can slide into a corner snugly, this will cause an issue however, because of the design of the stand, there is nowhere to put a dvd player, set top box or other equipment. Samsung provide a three shelf add on, made of the same glass as at the bottom it slides neatly against one of the side of the base, (Not all retailers provide this as standard, be sure to check!!!) but if the set is placed in the corner this can't be used as intended.

I have noted ease of instillation as dificult, i should say this is ONLY DUE TO THE SIZE. the TV has auto tuning, is easy to connect and setting it up shouldn't provide a problem for most people. but it will take two people to move it into position, so have someone handy or pay for installation.

If you're worried about the TV taking oer the living room then this is probably one to avoid, but if you want a great home cinema system at a reasonable price with good reliability then the Samsung SP50L7HX should be going to the top of your list.

I hope you have found this review useful, I am still new to Ciao and would greatly appreciate any feedback you could leave to help make my next review better. 

...less